Finding My Niche

I've been busy working on Xmas knits, but I've also been contemplating how to make my Etsy shop successful. I've been reading articles and scoping out the shops of the highest sellers and have determined 3 things:

1. supplies sell the best.

2. good, artistic photos are essential.

3. you need a niche product.

What is MY niche product? I don't know. Knitted items really don't sell well. I guess there are just too many knitters out there & I've noticed that people really undervalue the effort that goes into making these items. I hear "I can get that cheaper at Target"... well, yes you can, but it won't be a high-quality, one of a kind, hand knitted item.. it will be a machine knitted item from China made with acrylic yarn! (but I digress)

What I need is an item that is inexpensive and non-durable, so that I generate repeat business. I have a few ideas percolating in my brain and have even started on a prototype for one. I'm also thinking of getting back into hand-dying yarns, spinning more and maybe even doing yarn wholesale (but need to get my dba first).

So for now I will just keep scheming, staying up late fleshing out ideas and praying that I can make this work, because really this is what I want to be doing for a living. I don't mind working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, as long as it's something I love.

Yet Another Cowl

As promised, here are pics of one of the cowls I finished.





This cowl was made using Merino that I spun a few years ago. I used the eyelet & flame chevron stitch from my Vogue Stitchionary, Vol. 1. I cast-on 112 stitches on size 9 needles. The finished cowl measures 26" in diameter & 7" wide. Yes, it is up on Etsy.

The other cowl I finished just isn't up to snuff. It's pretty laying flat but looks like crap on, so I'm gonna frog it and try again. Might be a while before the redone is posted, I really need to get back to holiday knitting... only 20 days left! eek!

Knit, Knit, Knit

I've been sick the last couple of days, but that doesn't mean I haven't been knitting! In fact I've finished off 2 more cowls! I will post pics once I have some daylight to do it in, my camera takes crap pics inside but loves natural light. I guess it's time for a new one, eh?

In other news, I made my first etsy sale! It was for 2 pairs of dryer balls! I whipped up a few more of those, hoping to get regular business from them.

Unfortunately, ArtFire seems to be a bit of a bust... just not getting any traffic there. I'd really like it to take off, but I'm going to focus my energies at Etsy for the time being.

I'm also working up a new design for gloves. I've got an image in my head, but can't seem to find anything similar in my stitch libraries. I just don't know if I'll have the time to perfect the design & get the item knitted before Xmas.

Cowl #3

My first moebius scarf! I really like it. Simple, versatile & comfy!

I knit it in simple garter stitch on size 10 circs. I wanted it to stretch a bit so it would have extra give when doubled up as a neck warmer. I also wanted it to be reversible due to its moebius nature. I used homespun yarn in a beautiful merino/silk blend that I spun back in 2005! Unfortunately my camera can't capture the richness of the color, but you get a bit of the shimmer in the first pic.


I also whipped up a bunch of wool dryer balls this weekend!

I had a great time doing that! For those who haven't heard about them, they are just felted balls of wool. You pop 3 or 4 of them in the dryer instead of dryer sheets... they naturally reduce static and improve your drying time and the lanolin from the wool acts as a fabric softener! I tried them out with my towels yesterday and they work great, plus you can use them over & over again! I've got some for sale on ArtFire & Etsy. :)

Cyber Monday

Hey all! I'm offering free shipping today on my items at ArtFire! :)

Futher Distraction

True to my word I put Autumn's scarf on the back burner and whipped up another cowl...

Lace Detail

This used one skein of Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri yarn in Toasted Marshmallow. I cast-on 108 sts on size 8 circ. and used the Meandering Eyelet Vines pattern from Vogue Stitchionary, Vol. 1.

I absolutely love this cowl. I can not possibly convey how soft and warm it is. I just listed it on Etsy, but will not be sad if this one doesn't sell. I will totally have to make one for myself! :)

Distraction

As stated in my previous post, I fell in love with the giant braided cable! While knitting away I thought it would make a lovely cowl. So, I put down the x-mas present, picked up my size 10s and began knitting away on a cowl in bulky plum alpaca!





I cast-on 31 sts and knit 4 rows in seed stitch. I knit 5 stitches of seed stitch on the edges and used just shy of 1 skein (110yds) of Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande colorway 2213. I added a couple bamboo toggle buttons as fasteners. The cowl measures 19"x5".

I added this to my Etsy shop late last night & already had 10 views by this morning (which is huge compared to my other offerings). I think the hooded scarf is going to take a back seat this weekend while I try to whip up similar items and see if I can't generate some sales!

Progress Report

The scarf so far...



I love the giant cables! This is the first time I've knitted anything with cables this large (usually a 2/2 or 3/3 this is a 7/7!). I love the softness of it!

Another modification: the pattern calls for knitting the scarf portion in 2 parts and then joining in the middle... I can see no reason for this so I'm just knitting the scarf as one length. Hopefully I will have the scarf done this weekend and can move on to knitting the hood. I'd love to have this finished by next weekend so I can move on to other items.

BTW- For Thanksgiving I'm giving free shipping on my ArtFire Items for buyers in the US! Please, take advantage of me! ;)

Happy Turkey Day!!

Let the Knitting Begin

Holiday Knitting has begun!

First up:


Pfeiffer Falls Hooded Scarf by Anne Kuo Lukito from Interweave Knits Winter 2008 issue. This is for Autumn. I'm knitting it in Knit Picks Comfy, Planetarium colorway. It's a beautiful deep blue that her mom says will match her winter coat nicely. :)

Modifications so far - no pockets (who puts pockets on a scarf?!) and am using size 9 needles. Will post images soon.

Art Fire Vs. Etsy

So in an attempt to actually sell something, I've cross-listed my Etsy items on ArtFire. I like that ArtFire doesn't charge a listing fee or take a cut of your sale price... it's absolutely free to sell there! You can upgrade your account to list as many items as you like and access all kinds of features. If I end up selling anything there I will probably do this. It's not as pretty or as well known as Etsy, but that may work in my favor because there isn't as much there. Who knows.

What do you think of the shops?

Here is my ArtFire Studio

and here is my Etsy Shop.

Any input would be appreciated!

A Leg Up

2 Things:
1. I finished Anouk!

2. I made a Leg!

I got inspired this weekend after seeing a tutorial on how to make a custom dress form (which I'm totally going to do) and thought it might work for other body parts as well. I got to thinking about how I've really wanted mannequin legs/arms for the modeling of socks & mittens and wondered if I could apply this technique.

So, if you want to make your own model leg, here's what I did...

First, wrap your foot & leg in plastic wrap:

Then, wrap your leg with duct tape. I recommend using strips & not simply winding the roll around your leg. This will give you smoother lines and will prevent you wrapping your leg too tightly & cutting off circulation. The smaller/thinner strips will allow you to create greater definition on the heel & toes as well. I did 3 layers of tape.

Once you have finished taping, gently tease the tape & plastic wrap away from your leg and cut down the side using very sharp scissors.


The plastic wrap I used (Glad Press 'n' Seal) adhered to my leg a little too well, so you may want to use something not so sticky. The tape allows for a good bit of flexibility so removing the form isn't too difficult, however the getting your foot out can be a bit tricky... Like a pair of boots that are a size too small!

After you've removed the form, tape the cut edges back together and stuff the form with newspaper. Viola!


I plan on playing with paper maché and decoupage to try and pretty it up a bit and add extra stiffness. I'll let you all know how it goes!

OK, So I Lied!

Yeah. I lied. I promised to blog more in August and here it is November and it's only my second post of the year!

I blame facebook. I spend all my computer time there these days & have only just started getting back to Ravelry and blogs. I have been knitting however, and doing a bit of spinning. I've also opened an Etsy shop (check sidebar) to try to raise a little extra income because my hubby is still in need of work.

Currently I'm working on a dress for my friend's new baby niece. The pattern is Anouk from Knitty. I'm using the same yarn but the body is pink and the trim is white. The pockets will have a white background and purple flowers. Depending on how much yarn I have left, I may even make a complimentary diaper cover.. we shall see! I will post project pics later.

No promises, but hopefully I'm back. :)

btw- how do you like the new look?

That's right, I knit!

I can't believe it's been over a year since I've posted here! Wow. So,life kinda interfered and I haven't even thought of blogging in ages. Short version, hubby got laid off, father had a heart attack and subsequent triple-bypass surgery, and mom is still bed ridden. So with all that going on I haven't had time to knit, let alone blog about knitting.

A few days ago I picked the needles back up to start on a baby sweater for my cousin and I thought it might just be time to come back to the blog. Hopefully I can keep it up again.

Thanks for reading. :)

Excited!

I received my monthly newsletter from the fabulous ThreadBear this morning and was jolted awake when I saw this: "Announcing Workshops with the Fabulous CookieA"! Fabulous indeed! I quickly skimmed the newsletter for the relevant information: 2 workshops, one on top-down sock design and the other on toe-up design, $35 fee... 16 person limit!

I hurriedly dialed the store & they still had spaces (I think my excitement greatly amused the lady on the phone)! So, this September I will be taking a 3hr design workshop with Cookie A.

Oh! And Trek received her socks!

There is is much Squeeage going on today. :)

Note: Please excuse the excessive use of the word "Fabulous" in this post. Apparently I need a thesaurus. :)

Trek's Socks

I've finished Trek's socks!


Overall I'm very pleased. They are drying now and should be on their way to her on Tuesday. :)

I've cast-on another pair of socks (surprise) for another swap I joined. It's a Discworld themed swap called "Music With Socks In" that's being held through Ravelry. The idea is that you make your partner a pair of socks (or send them the necessary items to make their own) and include a cd or 2 in the package. Since there is a possibility that my partner might read my blog (it's not a secret swap) I won't be posting any project details until I've shipped. I'm very excited about this swap. I wasn't able to go with my first idea for the socks, but I think she will love what I'm doing. And the music aspect is great, I'm having a lot of fun going through my collection for ideas!

Edit: Oh! I almost forgot to tell you a bit of exciting news! There's a yahoo group that is dedicated to translating knitting patterns into foreign languages and they've requested permission to translate my MJs pattern! I'm so geeked!

Weekend in Vermont

This past weekend I went with Honey to Vermont for a couple of Circus shows. There really isn't much to relay about the trip. The weather was lovely and I got to actually spend time with a few people that I've met at the shows. Of course, the only pictures I took ended up being far too dark and I've been unable to successfully clean them up so far.

I was able to sneak in a little yarn shopping. There was a gift shop in the tiny town we were at and at the very back there was a small yarn shop, which was stocked with some pretty nice stuff. I couldn't resist picking up this:

2 skeins of Araucania Nature Cotton in sage green. It is incredibly soft! I haven't seen the yarn locally, so that was all the incentive I needed to buy it. I've no idea what I'm going to make with it yet. Thankfully, I don't have to worry about dye-lot if I end up needing more. It's all hand-dyed, so there will be variation no matter what! :)

And the 28hr round-trip drive gave me time to knit this...

Trek's Sock

I've finished the first sock and have started the second. I'm just past the cuff now, but hopefully I finish it up this weekend.

The yarn is really lovely to work with, although it is pooling something awful. Even so, the sock is still quite pretty. I was originally going to do a fancy rib pattern, but the darkness of the yarn hid the pattern. Instead I went with a simple 2x2 rib for the cuff and stockinette for the leg & foot. I did a slip stitch heel for a little oompf.

Now I just hope they fit! :)

Coming Along

I've been a knitting fiend the last few days. I was home sick with a stomach bug on Thursday & Friday and was able to get quite a bit done on my Highland Shawl.

Not a great image, I know. The color is a bit washed out and you can't really see the lace, but that gives you an idea of how much is done. I've finished the body and started knitting the lace edging last night. I really can't wait to finish this, it's going to be so soft & warm! Yippie!

I'm going to wind up the Shibui Sock yarn for Trek's socks today and try to finish my pattern search. My initial thought was to do the Retro Rib Socks by Evelyn Clark (Interweave Knits, Fall 2004):


However, on further thought I think these might be a bit too patterned for her. She said she prefers simple stockingette or ribbed socks. Opinions?

Cast On

This weekend I finally decided to knit something, other than socks, for myself. I finally frogged the Lift & Separate Wrap that I started knitting in September 2006. I had finished the sleeves, but never got around to knitting the body of the sweater and after almost 2 years I figured it was time to reclaim the yarn, which is yummy Alpaca With A Twist Baby Alpaca in fawn.

This is it's current incarnation...

The Highland Triangle Shawl from Folk Shawls. This is the center portion of the shawl and that beautiful trim will be knit on after the body is complete. The lace pattern is fairly easy to memorize and it's moving along rather quickly since it's knit on whopping Size 8 needles! ;)

Lets just hope I don't get too distracted by this...
Shibui Knits Sock yarn in Midnight. Isn't it gorgeous? The color was a bit of a surprise because the website's image showed it as being much darker, but I love it. This is for Trek's socks, although I may have a hard time parting with it. The yarn is super soft & springy! I can't wait to get knitting with it.

All Sewn Up

The weekend before last I went out to my folks and my mother very obviously hinted that she would like a lap blanket for when she is in her wheelchair. She even showed me a knitting pattern, which was absolutely hideous.

Now, I love my mum, but there is no way I was going to spend the time and energy knitting a blanket only to have it destroyed the first time she uses it. Because of her medical conditions, she is uncoordinated and she often falls asleep in mid-sentence... this combined with a full cup of juice or food and a hand knit blanket spells disaster.

Instead I decided to sew her a blanket. This would fulfill her wish, would make life easier on my sister & father because it would be machine washer/dryer friendly, and save me a lot of time, money & sanity.

So Saturday afternoon I spent a few hours whipping this up while watching Jane Austen movies. I got a baseline for the size from the pattern she showed me. The pattern also had a strap that fastened around the waist to keep it from falling off. It used buttons, but I figured velcro would work much better. :)

Materials: 2 1/4 yds cotton fabric (45" width),
45x60 cotton batting & sew-on velcro

The finished blanket is about 34"x43". Unfortunately I made the fastening straps a bit too long and will have to trim & resew them. Still, I'm happy with it and honey thinks my mom will love it and that's all that matters. :)

Hubby Meme

Mary tagged me with this great meme that is all about hubby! :)

Where did you meet? I was in a play, fancied this guy and he dragged me to a party at his friends' house. Honey was the friend. I know it sounds awful, but we didn't actually start dating until 6 months after I broke up with the guy who introduced us. Still, said guy was none too pleased about the whole thing. :)

How long did you date? About 6 weeks & then he proposed. However, we waited a year & a half to get married.

How old is he? 4 years older (he'll be 40 this year).

Who eats more? We eat about the same. Sometimes he eats more, sometimes I do.

Who said “I love you” first? Hubby. Immediately after he got a nasty phone message from my ex.

Who is taller? Hubby. He's 6'2", I'm only 5'5"

Who sings better? Him, without a doubt. He is a fantastic musician and singer. He writes great songs too, even wrote one for me. :) He used to perform a lot in his twenties, but now me, the dog & cats are pretty much his audience. I always wanted to sing well, but as my sister will tell you, I can't. I can carry a tune but that's it.

Who is smarter? We both have higher than average IQs and I believe we are of equal intelligence, although he may be a bit more cunning than I.

Whose temper is worse? Mine. Hands down. I have a pretty short fuse and get snippy quite easily. Kris is pretty unflappable. I think I've only really seen him mad twice in 12 years.

Who does the laundry? Pretty much me. He does the odd load, but that is usually his own clothes. He's a bit leery about doing mine after a few disasters early in our relationship

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does.

Who pays the bills? He does.

Who cooks dinner? We both do. It's about 25/25/50 (him/me/take-out). :)

Who drives when you are together? Usually me. I'm a driving control freak. Unless we are taking a road trip, then he does all the driving.

Who is more stubborn? I think we are both pretty flexible, I don't think either of us is particularly stubborn.

Who kissed whom first? He kissed me. It was so cute. He asked if I minded if he kissed me.

Who is the first to admit to being wrong? I think we are both pretty good at recognizing when we are being irrational. No one is always apologizing first.

Whose parents do you see the most? I'd say it's about 50/50. But he talks to his mom way more than I talk to my parents, like almost every day.

Who proposed? He did. It was our first Valentine's Day together and we were at a Chinese restaurant. He got down on his knees and proposed after reading his fortune cookie. Since then I have to screen all his fortune cookies. :)

What’s his best physical attribute? I love his eyes and his giant nose! :)

Who has more friends? Him. He is a people person and gets along with everyone. I sooo do not.

What are you most proud of him for? For having the courage to follow his passion, even though it means I'm spending most weekends alone.

Who has more siblings? we each have a sibling.

Who wears the pants in the family? Well, since his salary is 3x mine, I guess that would be him. However, he is not my "lord & master" and doesn't have veto power. We are partners.

Ok. So, who to tag? How about Devin (you're engaged so you're qualified), Christy, Claudia & Ruinwen.